What do you think of when you hear the word “civics”? For most adults, civics likely conjures distant memories of a high school course in which they memorized the three branches of government and other constitutional trivia.

Unfortunately, that experience of civics hasn’t changed much. What has been missing from civics education for decades is deep civic learning, in which students come to understand what a good democratic government looks and feels like and deeply connect with their own capacity to shape the future.

What is the result? When it comes to politics and community involvement, young Americans — who are the most demographically diverse young generation in our nation’s history — often feel disconnected, left out of the discussion, disengaged from community resources, unwelcome, bored and ignored.

Such feelings are causing an unprecedented level of disillusionment with democracy, not just as a concept but as a way of life. A recent Harvard poll revealed that 64 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds in the U.S. have “more fear than hope about the future of democracy in America.” Likewise, the Institute for Citizens and Scholars’ Civic Outlook of Young Adults in America study of 18- to 24-year-old Americans revealed low knowledge and high levels of discontent with democracy; another poll found that only 27 percent of young people in Generation Z strongly agree with the statement that democracy is “the best form of government.”

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While the issue of low voter turnout among young people is something that well-meaning initiatives have tried to address for decades, it’s crucial to recognize that civics is about more than voting. At its heart, civics is about being an engaged and collaborative community member. But with so many young Americans feeling frustrated about the systems they see as broken, and increasingly unable to see channels in the existing structures to make things better, something needs to change.

The key is, as learning science has proven, that civic identity cannot be achieved without young people first feeling a sense of belonging and agency in their communities. Being aware of how their government works is not enough to motivate young people to take part in it. Today’s teens and young adults won’t take action if they don’t feel like they are seen for who they are, and that their voices, concerns and needs matter enough to older adults to be taken seriously.

The good news is, at a local and national level, community institutions are actively making efforts to reach out to and listen to young people. At a national level, the museum coalition Made By Us is researching what types of engagement methods actually connect with young Americans ahead of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

At the regional level, there are growing efforts to build networks for learning that center the unique needs of individual students.

In Pittsburgh, Remake Learning and The History Co:Lab have combined their shared passion for youth-centered learning to create the Civics Education Ecosystem. Fueled by a shared commitment to intergenerational co-creation as a key practice to inspire civic agency, the group’s recent Youth Design Day provided the opportunity for young people from across the region to identify and map spaces that emphasize their authentic participation. The day surfaced how a sense of belonging can be fostered in a wide range of institutions, from museums and government agencies to art centers and community spaces. At the same time, the youth participants highlighted that many institutions do not yet know how to meaningfully engage teens; in response, the teens crafted a workshop to train community organizations in authentic ways to encourage youth participation — a workshop that is taking place this October.

Related: We can and must start early and teach students to become active citizens

Building strong civic learning ecosystems, both in-person and online, is crucial in a world in which so much of young people’s lives are centered in digital spaces. Over 40 percent of Americans age 18 to 29 rely on social media as their primary news source, so it’s essential that young people have experiences that bridge across differences, connect to their hopes and needs and put the news they see online in context.

As the concept of learning ecosystems helps more people recognize the rich tapestry of opportunities that exist in their communities, now is the time for America to redesign civics education to center on local relationships and experiences. We know that young people seek hands-on, real-world knowledge, and that they want to be heard and involved. Let’s provide them with more possibilities to engage in civic learning and action beyond the confines of a textbook.

Let’s create more spaces where teens and young adults are recognized for their ideas, seen as equal partners in the civic process and feel like they truly belong. Only by inviting young people into the conversation, enabling them to lift and share their voices and encouraging their sense of agency and purpose will we help them grow up with the experience and knowledge they need to step into their civic roles as makers and leaders of our shared history.

Tyler Samstag is executive director of Remake Learning. Fernande Raine is the founder of The History Co:Lab. Together they have formed the Civics Education Ecosystem.

Contact the opinion editor at opinion@hechingerreport.org.

This story about civics education was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger’s weekly newsletter.

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When we’re young, playing and learning are inseparable.

Simple games like peekaboo and hide-and-seek help us learn crucial lessons about time, anticipation and cause and effect. We discover words, numbers, colors and sounds through toys, puzzles, storybooks and cartoons. Everywhere we turn, there’s something fun to do and something new to learn.

Then, somewhere around early elementary school, learning and play officially become separated for life.

Suddenly, learning becomes a task that only takes place in proper classrooms with the help of textbooks, homework and tests. Meanwhile, play becomes a distraction that we’re only allowed to indulge in during our free time, often by earning it as a reward for studying. As a result, students tend to grow up feeling as if learning is a stressful chore while playing is a reward.

Related: Want resilient and well-adjusted kids? Let them play

But in recent years, educators have begun to rethink this separation. Some are even taking concrete steps to reverse it by reintroducing play into their lessons, expanding learning to include spaces outside the classroom and incorporating practical learning opportunities within playful pastimes. The root of this change can be traced back to the concept of play theory, the idea that play and learning are fundamentally intertwined and that children benefit from a healthy balance of both.

Psychologists such as Jean Piaget, a pioneer in play theory, observed that play is vital to a child’s cognitive and language development and advised that opportunities and environments for play should evolve as a child matures. Pediatricians such as Hillary Burdette and Robert Whitaker believe that unstructured active outdoor play is more beneficial for children’s physical, social and emotional health than indoor play. And Russian developmental psychologist Lev Vygotsky proposed that imaginative play is fundamental to children’s ability to become responsible and self-regulate.

And now, innovative city planners are beginning to adopt play theory, and the results are helping transform America’s cities into fun, engaging, life-size learning opportunities for the whole family.

For example, when a West Philadelphia bus stop added new features such as a hopscotch grid, a puzzle with movable pieces and artwork with hidden images, families began to interact with the space — and each other — much more often, and the community worked together to keep the area clean and approachable. Similar interactive learning experiences are popping up in urban areas from California to the East Coast, with equally promising results: art, games and music are being incorporated into green spaces, public parks, transportation stations, laundromats and more.

Related: In elementary classrooms, demand grows for play-based learning

Pittsburgh is about to celebrate the inherent potential of play theory as a design feature with its new Let’s Play, PGH! initiative, which has invited 27 municipal and educational organizations in southwest Pennsylvania to plan, pitch and implement play-focused urban elements. In partnership with Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative, the nonprofit Remake Learning, where I serve as executive director, is granting $1.5 million to participating organizations to brainstorm, develop and install their interactive features around the greater Pittsburgh area. The work, which is supported by the Grable and Henry L. Hillman foundations, will be guided by 10 local advisers with years of experience in play theory, learning science and urban design.

Adding time and space for play throughout the rhythm of the day sends a powerful reminder that it’s okay to play and that learning happens everywhere. Play is natural, which is something children inherently know — and a lesson that parents, educators and city planners would benefit greatly from remembering.

Tyler Samstag is the executive director of Remake Learning.

This op-ed about play was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger’s newsletter.

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